HRMT 300 Organizational Behaviour : Health and Safety Manager

Ms Jersey Jones is a 52 year old, female boxing and packing line worker who has had an average absence record of 50 percent over the last 5 years, and this past year she has been away on a WCB claim. The claimed injury was not verified by a site inspector or management report as the department and her supervisor, Peter F. Didwell, did not think she was really injured. The medical reports speak of pain and of a recurring back strain that has accumulated over time. Ms Jones, a former shop steward and a respected community activist, is described by her colleagues as being incapable of keeping up the pace that necessary to meet productivity requirements. There is a strong sense that she may not really be welcomed back upon her return.

The Union is the Global and Federated Packing and Manufacturing Workers, represented by the Business Agent, Ms Mary Carstairs. She has not spent much time on site because the union has been conductng protracted bargaining in the forestry sector. Thus far, she has refused to meet with you and the employee because, she says, “I do not get in any sort of voluntary relationships with management. I work with the employee directly and my job is to prevent employers from stealing the benefits employees are entitled to collect.  She has also been heard to have said: Ms Jones does not carry her weight and should be kept on WCB or LTD as we cannot have other members doing each other work out of sympathy or goodwill. The Management Assistant VP is Ms S. Pu . Ms Pu is known for her desire to have totally healthy and fully cooperative employees. She considers herself to be on the fast track to becoming the Senior VP, and considers herself to be a possible candidate for the replacement of the current CEO who is expected to review in two years. Ms Pu has had no patience with Ms Jones. Her view is that employees need to be responsible for being ready and able to work, and she does not want some well intentioned but fuzzy minded thinking to make employee fitness, or lack thereof, her problem.

There has never been a successful return to work in Ms Pu department, and the department stats for productivity per staff hours paid are the highest in the company and, indeed, the industry. Yet, Ms Pu does not include (nor does Trans Global) absent or injured employees in the stats and calculations of productivity. The Workers Compensation Board is ready to cut Ms Jones off WCB, saying the original injury must be cured and that the employee must go back to work or go to Long Term Disability. The LTD team sees this as a worker injury that must be managed by tools such as a gradual return to work, or simply by bringing her back to work in a comparable position. Ms Jersey refuses to speak to the LTD team, stating that she knows that she was injured on the job and needs WCB. Ms Jones has also stated that she wants her employer to take some responsibility for the many years that she worked on machines that were injuring her. You decide to write the report to your boss that both addresses this case and also suggests a general approach that will best improve this case and others like it, now and in the future. You are certain that this case can be used as an example for discussing the ways in which the overall organizational system could better deal with these types of issues.

Part B Word Length: 250 500 words Your boss, Mr. K Pushy, calls you just as you are finishing off the report. He says: Send me what you have now! I need to meet with our new owners ASAP. Trans Global has been sold to Trans United Global. They want to look at our sick leave management program and find out what you have been doing to deal with all these absences. If we work quickly, I may be able to save your job. What changes do we need to make, and how has your training prepared you to make those changes? Now is the time to show them and me what you know, and what you can do, so send me another report. 

Answer:

Organizational behaviour is an integral aspect of organizational practices. The behaviour can be of many types but it needs to be in accordance to the organizational requirement. Nevertheless, behaviour is highly influenced by the leadership styles of the organization. There are different kinds of leadership styles, which contribute in shaping the organizational behaviour largely. However, leadership style can only instruct towards a particular goal or a disciplined action but it can never encourage the implementation of the same in employees. This is because those different employees with different behaviours behave differently within the organization. They tend to remain in the same state of behaviour until they are directed towards some sort of rectification (Pinder, 2014). The Trans Global Marketing and manufacturing Company is having some kind of behavioural issue at the workplace. Ms. Jersey Jones has an average occupancy and poor behaviour records in the organization. This has created trouble for the organization as well as for the employees. The main purpose of this assignment is to put forward some remedial action against the ongoing trauma as instructed to the health and safety manager of the company by his boss.

Part A:

The leadership style at the Trans Global Marketing and Manufacturing Company is missing on some important terms. The head of the company has no ideas about the peculiar behaviour of Ms. Jones. There is a communication gap, which has kept the leader in every sort of confusion on the exact reason behind the cause. According to the different leadership theory, transformational leadership can highly benefit the behaviour of employees (DuBrin, 2013). The task, which Mr. K Pushy has allotted to his health and safety manager, requires high alterations in some of the existing operational styles. The leadership style in the organization should be of transformational kinds. This is because that it guides to an absorptive kind of nature, which teaches on absorbance to the different kinds of situations at the workplace. The transformational leadership style is very effective in bringing a notable change in the organizational practices. A transformational leader brings him or herself close to each employee, which is very necessary to understand the ongoing problem because of any management fault. It also encourages the leader for a situational behaviour, which is highly effective while dealing with employees of different behaviours (Miner, 2015). An ideal leadership style is necessary for every organization as it correlates the management with the employees. It also correlates the ethical standards of a particular organization with the behaviour of employees. Nevertheless, employee participation in ethical practices is highly influenced with an effective leadership style. Leadership style guides through a disciplined way. It facilitates the disciplines work, which is just the influence of an effective leadership that inspires its followers towards the goal (Wilson, 2017).

Different kinds of behaviours are experienced across the organizations. Despite of a wide number of behaviours, employees are motivated towards a particular goal or a path under the influence of the leadership style of the organization. Employees are ethical when they are instructed to be so and when they are followed closely. Employees are motivated when they are motivated by means of some intrinsic and extrinsic motivational approach. However, this is again contradicting that monetary benefits does result in high motivation. On contrary to this, monetary benefits have now been proved as a less influencing factor on the motivation. On a same note, some have also proved that monetary benefits does harm and discourage the motivational thoughts. Monetary benefits to those are no longer a motivational tool; it has rather become a source to decrease the motivational thoughts in them. The types of organizational behaviour are also influenced by the nature of work and the supervisors (Robbins & Judge, 2012). Sometimes employees are forced to work under certain kind of pressures, which is when they lose their nerves and start practicing unethical works. This happens when the enhanced pressure is not properly communicated with the employees. This also happens when employees are not assured for any rewards on performing this extra task. The wrong management of workforces thus result in some unexpected results, which are a threat to the organizational practices. There might be some reason behind the unethical practices of Ms. Jones. She might have some other issues but the behaviour show the other part of the story. The behaviourist theory educates on judging the behaviours just by making behaviours visible to all (Wagner III & Hollenbeck, 2014). Ms. Jones is violating the leave policies. It has affected her performance as well. Nevertheless, the company is at big loss currently. However, if it is feasible to the management of the company then they should incorporate work-life balance for Ms. Jones. This might work as this would not pose any restrictions on Ms. Jones to be present ever day in the company. Ms. Jones can then work efficiently by maintaining the same attendance status.

Human Resource Management of a company is another important part of it, which highly influence the behaviour of employees. This is because it lets employees know about the basic etiquettes, which an employee is supposed to maintain. The HRM should have a sound framework or guidance to communicate the terms and policies to the employees. Nevertheless, the communication should also be monitored on a continuous basis to bring effectiveness in its adherence.  According to the management theory, human resource department is one of the most valuable parts of an organization (Champoux, 2016). It is known for constructing some policies and rules. It is also known for recruiting and selecting candidates. However, the HRM of contemporary world has many other works, which is very important for the betterment of operations. The HRM of the contemporary world has more other things to perform. It has to find solutions to the problems related to the underdevelopment of staffs with their assigned skills and expertises. The HRM of the Trans Global Marketing and Manufacturing Company needs to be modified in order to cope with the current challenge. A well-designed HRM might put some restrictions on Ms. Jones regarding the absenteeism. This is indeed very much required to raise some sort of awareness in Ms. Jones regarding the unethical works. The modified HRM would then also help the health and safety manager in his assigned task to find out solutions for the behavioural issues of Ms. Jones. A strict HRM at the Trans Global Marketing and Manufacturing Company would keep Ms. Jones under some kinds of restrictions, which was never before (Greenberg, 2013).

A powerful ethical policy is required to be included in the Human Resource Management practices. This would prevent high absenteeism from the company. The inclusion of ethical code of conducts would ask the mangers to make these a compulsion on the employees. Moreover, this would also prevent from high absenteeism or any other behavioural related issues (Borman & Motowidlo, 2014). The Trans Global Marketing and Manufacturing Company seems to have incapable support of ethical code of conducts, which is making its management fall short of any behavioural related issues of employees. This is because of such reasons it becomes important for the company that they have reframe their ethical policies. This is very much required to resolve the disciplinary related activities at the workplace. To employee such as Ms. Jones, it is important that she receive both the ethical guidelines and the necessary communication with the management (Wilson, 2013). This might help the company in overcoming the behavioural related issues of Ms. Jones.

Part B:

Absenteeism can be reduced to some extent if the management has some direct talks with Ms. Jones on the reason behind it. The supportive leadership style is required here, which would help the boss behave friendly with Ms. Jones. There are some other alternatives as well. Reconsidering the management style can help to reduce the increasing absenteeism of Ms. Jones (Nelson & Quick, 2013). This means that the leadership style requires some changes, which could become friendlier at times and strict at some other times. The transformational leadership style would help its managers become situational with Ms. Jones, become strict when required, and get closer to the matter of influencing Ms. Jones’s high absenteeism rate. Such a high absenteeism rate is not acceptable. It really requires a brief session with the management regarding the issue (Nahavandi et al., 2013).

The high absenteeism can be reduced by using some strategies such as by offering incentives for high number of presents and contacting the person who is making absenteeism (Altman, Valenzi & Hodgetts, 2013). Ms. Jones has been in this company for the last five years and since then she is widely irregular with her service. Ms. Jones has also some behavioural related issues, which is probably compelling her for the undisciplined activities. Offering incentives to Ms. Jones on maintaining a good attendance might attract her for a disciplined approach. However, monetary benefits can never alone do wonder. It needs to be associated with some other things as well such as considering talks with the candidate in concern. The management needs to come closer to the reason, which is prompting her for such high absenteeism. The talk should contain all the necessary elements that could make it meaningful such as finding the root cause behind the issue and sensing the appropriate solution for the same. The talk should also be targeted on finding the real problems behind the undisciplined behaviour of Ms. Jones. Moreover, this would also help to find the desire of Ms. Jones for this work. A clear and concise discussion with Ms. Jones would help to conclude, which is very important for analyzing the change and then putting it to get the results (Cameron & Whetten, 2013).

The problem with the Trans Global Marketing and Manufacturing Company is that they do not have adequate leadership quality. This has enhanced the distances in between Ms. Jones and the management. In addition to this, the Human Resource Management of the company is also not competent enough, as they have failed to have any control on Ms. Jones. The best way to deal with the issue and to resolve it, it is required that the company gets involve in some kinds of talks with Ms. Jones. This is very much required to know the exact causes behind such high absenteeism rates. This is also required to know that where there is fault in the management. This would help to come at the conclusive point, which is helpful in attaining the best possible solutions for the identified problems. Introducing incentives for higher rate of attendance is a powerful solution to the rising problem of absenteeism.

References:

Altman, S., Valenzi, E., & Hodgetts, R. M. (2013). Organizational behavior: Theory and practice. Elsevier.

Borman, W. C., & Motowidlo, S. J. (2014). Organizational citizenship behavior and contextual performance: A special issue of human performance. Psychology Press.

Cameron, K. S., & Whetten, D. A. (Eds.). (2013). Organizational effectiveness: A comparison of multiple models. Academic Press.

Champoux, J. E. (2016). Organizational behavior: Integrating individuals, groups, and organizations. Routledge.

DuBrin, A. J. (2013). Fundamentals of organizational behavior: An applied perspective. Elsevier.

Greenberg, J. (Ed.). (2013). Organizational behavior: The state of the science. Routledge.

Miner, J. B. (2015). Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge.

Nahavandi, A., Denhardt, R. B., Denhardt, J. V., & Aristigueta, M. P. (2013). Organizational behavior. SAGE Publications.

Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2013). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Cengage learning.

Pinder, C. C. (2014). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press.

Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. (2012). Essentials of organizational behavior. Essex: Pearson.

Wagner III, J. A., & Hollenbeck, J. R. (2014). Organizational behavior: Securing competitive advantage. Routledge.

Wilson, F. M. (2013). Organizational behaviour and work: a critical introduction. Oxford University Press.

Wilson, F. M. (2017). Organizational behaviour and gender. Routledge.